Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content
You are the owner of this article.
Edit Article Add New Article
You have permission to edit this article.
Edit

North Alabama looking to reach boiling point in Brent Dearmon's second year

  • Updated
  • 0
North Alabama starts fall camp

Ari Patu joins UNA as a transfer quarterback from Stanford 

North Alabama football has one goal in mind for its 2024 season: get one degree better. 

"There's a book I read called 212," Lions head coach Brent Dearmon explained. "At 212 degrees, water begins to boil. The book talked about, at 211 degrees, water is just hot. One degree of difference can power a steam engine." 

So how does that apply to the football field? 

"What can we do after practice, what can we do before practice, what can you do during practice just to make that one degree a little better?" senior wide receiver Kobe Warden said. "Just that extra edge for us." 

North Alabama thinks it will have an edge at the quarterback position. The Lions added Stanford transfer Ari Patu to compete with returning backups T.J. Smith and Ben Harris. 

"He's got a Stanford degree, so I've got to dumb things down for him," Dearmon joked. "No, he's extremely intelligent, picks things up so quick." 

The Lions went 3-8 in Dearmon's debut season in 2023. But players say this offseason has felt different. 

"I just feel like this year, we're just coming in, everybody's locked in and focused," senior defensive lineman Kam'ron Green said. 

Those changes will be put to the test when the Lions face Southeast Missouri State on August 24. The game will take place at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery.